1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spacer used for a flat image display apparatus, a manufacturing method of this spacer, and an image display apparatus using this spacer, and a manufacturing method of the image display apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
As an image display apparatus that can achieve reduction in thickness and weight, a flat image display apparatus using a surface conduction electron emitting device has been suggested. The image display apparatus using such an electron emitting device forms a vacuum case by arranging a rear plate provided with an electron emitting device and a light emitting member for emitting a light due to irradiation of electrons so as to be opposed to each other and sealing them via a frame material on a periphery. In such an image display apparatus, in order to prevent deformation and damage of a base plate due to a difference of an atmospheric pressure between the inside and the outside of the vacuum case, an atmospheric pressure resistant structure referred to as a spacer is put between the base plates.
The spacer is normally formed in a rectangular sheet shape, and the spacer is arranged with its end portions brought into contact with both base plates so that its surface is in parallel with a normal line of the base plates.
However, when a device in the vicinity of the spacer is activated, the spacer may be charged due to irradiation of a reflection electron to the spacer. The structure that an electron removal film is provided on the surface of the spacer in order to remove this charging is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2005-235751 (corresponding European Patent Application Laid-Open No. EP A2 1557863) and JP-A No. 2000-192017 (corresponding European Patent Application Laid-Open No. EP A1 0969491).
However, it has been found a phenomenon such that a position of a luminescent spot in the vicinity of a spacer is moved a minute amount when an image display apparatus provided with a conventional spacer has been driven for a long time. In the image display apparatus disclosed in the above-mentioned JP-A No. 2005-235751 and JP-A No. 2000-192017, although the shift amount is very short, it is desired to further decrease the shift amount for a higher-quality picture.